Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: March 2010
An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson
Ever since I was in Washington, D.C., a month ago, I've been squirming over how polarized we've become. A few days ago, I had the immense privilege of being the speaker at the 2010 Governor's Prayer Breakfast (See Miscellaneous for the link). I expressed the hope that civil discourse could replace the winner-take-all partisanship that paralyzes progress. I lifted up the grace and truth of Jesus as substitutes for the cynicism and skepticism that characterize many of our debates. Today I had the equally immense privilege of speaking in chapel at Whitworth. My assignment was the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17. His dying wish was for his followers to be unified, just like he and God the Father are unified. As I think about the two talks, I grow in my conviction that what we need and what Jesus wants is unity. Christ calls for the unity of his followers so that the glory of God can be seen. As Christians, we are called to unite around the cross of Christ. But beyond faith, we achieve our most durable progress when people rally around the high values that unite them, rather than argue over the lesser issues that pull them apart. So I pray that as Christians, as Americans, and as members of the human community, we can come together and tackle the problems that leave so many with deep physical and spiritual needs. I'm encouraged at the way this generation of students seems to get less tangled up in ideologies than my generation. Our goal is to give them the tools to meet the social and spiritual challenges that await them.
Listen to Bill's chapel message
Academics
We're getting great reports from the France study program. Jenny Brown (French) has led a dozen students across Alsace and Lorraine as part of this semester-long program. Mike Ingram (Academic Affairs and Communication Studies) just left campus to meet the group in Paris, and next month Gordon Wilson (Art) will take them to Nice. Students in this interdisciplinary program visit four regions as they study language, communication and art in France.
This month our Speakers & Artists series includes Christopher Marsh, director of the J.M. Dawson Institute at Baylor University, who will discuss "Russia and the Near Abroad" on March 11 at 7:30 p.m.; the ethics conference's opening panel, "Media Unlimited: Technology, Ethics and Life at Whitworth in the 21st Century," on March 15 at 7 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theater; and Carl Wilkins, who worked for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Rwanda in 1994 and will discuss his work in helping rebuild that nation after the genocide, on March 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre. For a complete list of events, check out www.whitworth.edu/events.
The Whitworth Modern Language Department is now one of only three official testing sites in the Northwest for the DELE (Diploma in Spanish as a Second Language) Exam. The DELE is a nationally recognized exam created by the Spanish Ministry of Education to provide students with a diploma certifying their language proficiency.
Raja Tanas (Sociology) will deliver the keynote address, "Responses to Cultural Homogeny: The Case of Palestine," at the Responses to Cultural Homogeny: Engagement, Resistance, or Passivity Conference at Lithuania Christian College, where former Whitworth School of Global Commerce & Management dean Kyle Usrey is about to be inaugurated as president.
Phil Baldwin (Music) received the Outstanding Collegiate String Teacher Award from the Washington chapter of the American String Teachers Association at the recent annual Washington Music Educators Conference.
The Whitworth Jazz Ensemble was named outstanding group in the college/university division at the 2010 Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival. This is the seventh time in the last 14 years that Whitworth's jazz band has received top honors at the annual competition. Seniors Kurt Marcum and Noah Peller were named outstanding soloists in trumpet and bass, respectively. "It's notable that most of the universities we compete against are not only larger than Whitworth, but they also have graduate students at the master's level playing in their bands, whereas Whitworth's jazz bands have always been undergraduate students only," ensemble director Dan Keberle says.
Whitworth Theatre will be busy in March. Not only will students be presenting Mark Twain's new comedy, Is He Dead?, directed by Rick Hornor, '70, but the department will be hosting a master class with film and stage star Ben Vereen on March 12 and an Unarmed Combat Workshop with Nathan Jeffrey, of the Seattle Taproot Theatre, on March 15. Performances of Is He Dead? will take place in Cowles Auditorium on March 5, 6, 12, and 13 at 8 p.m., and on March 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 for general admission and $7 for students and senior citizens.
Brooke Kiener, '99 (Theatre), received rave reviews in February for her direction of Sylvia, by A. R. Gurney, at the Spokane Civic Theatre.
The Whitworth Wind Symphony will be on tour March 20-27. Join director Richard Strauch and this great group at a concert near you: March 20, 7 p.m., Richland (Wash.) Lutheran Church; March 22, 7 p.m., Battle Ground (Wash.) High School; March 23, 7 p.m., Clatsop Community College Performing Arts Center, Astoria, Ore.; March 25, 7 p.m., Community Presbyterian Church, Cannon Beach, Ore.; March 26, 7 p.m., Lake Grove Presbyterian Church, Lake Oswego, Ore.; March 27, 7 p.m., Salem First Presbyterian Church, Salem, Ore. For more info visit www.whitworth.edu/music and follow the link under music spotlight.
Enrollment
So far this year we have received a record 6,200 applications. That would be an intimidating number if you are an applicant and an encouraging number if you are me. We're delighted that our applications seem to rise every year, but part of that rise can be attributed to the ease of submitting online applications. That phenomenon does not lessen the work for our financial aid office, which has been busy assembling aid packages for the admitted students.
Student Life
Spring semester began with a bang! The Gospel Explosion and Soul Food Dinner, sponsored by the Black Student Union and ASWU, got the term going and kicked off Black History Month with wonderful music and amazing food. Throughout February, students heard poets, speakers, comedians, live music in the coffeehouse, a monthly talent competition at Whitworth Unplugged, and several in-depth programs, such as the Women of Wisdom retreat. The month ended with Career Week, during which local businesspeople came to campus to network with students over dinner. Students were treated to numerous sessions on career-building and vocational discernment. The downtown career fair was open to all students and alumni, and the Grad Fair-Thee-Well ended the week of activities with services to our graduating seniors. We also offered programming as a part of National Eating Disorders Week. Students heard panels of speakers, participated in campus awareness projects, and watched documentary films on this important issue. I heard students spent a lot of time on the slopes, but it seemed as if every day in February was sunny and 50 degrees. It did not feel like the shortest month of the year.
Resources
Whitworth Fund Fact: Your support of The Whitworth Fund enables our students to celebrate this month. March 4 is our annual Tuition Freedom Day event, marking the symbolic point in the academic year when student tuition no longer covers the costs associated with their enrollment. Outside support from donors and the endowment covers the rest. As part of that celebration, students write thank-you notes to acknowledge the many people who help underwrite their education. It is amazing how private higher education runs on gifts from past generations. We could not be more grateful for your generous support of our students and our mission.
Athletics
The men's basketball team finished the regular season 25-2 and ranks No. 4 in the nation in the most recent Div. III national poll. The Pirates' winning streak of 24 is a school record and the longest current men's streak in NCAA basketball at any level. The Bucs received a first-round bye and will host an NCAA second-round game this weekend. Jim Hayford was named NWC Coach of the Year for the fourth time, Nate Montgomery, '10, was named NWC Player of the Year (and is the fifth Pirate in the last eight years to win that award). Eric Beal, '10, was named First Team All-NWC, and David Riley, '11, was elected to the NWC First Team for the second year in a row. Bo Gregg earned NWC honorable mention.
Women's hoops finished 14-12 overall and made the semifinals of the Northwest Conference Tournament. Cassie Pilkinton, '10, was named to the All-NWC First Team, while Leah Pomante, '10, received honorable mention.
The swimming teams swept the team titles at the 2010 NWC Championships. The men won their eighth title in a row, easily pulling away from second-place Puget Sound. Kalen Darling, '10, shared the NWC Men's Outstanding Swimmer Award after winning three individual events. Natalie Turner, '10, made history when she shared the NWC Women's Outstanding Swimmer Award with teammate Ashley Lecoq, '11; Turner is the first women's swimmer in conference history to win the award four times.
Women's tennis is off to a strong start in pursuit of a second straight conference title. The Pirates are 5-0 in conference matches this season, and Rachel Burns is unbeaten in her matches at No. 1 singles. Incidentally, Mya Towne came out on the winning side of a recent four-hour match. I'm in pretty good shape, but if I play hard for 90 minutes, I'm ready to cough up my heart.
Men's tennis played traditional powers Linfield and PLU tight before losing 5-4 to each. The Bucs are 2-2 in NWC matches, and Michael Shelton is demonstrating the same form that earned him All-NWC honors last spring.
The baseball team is off to a rough start against tough NAIA competition. The Pirates will play 27 of their final 30 games against NCAA Div. III teams.
The softball team begins play this weekend with an NWC series at Pacific Lutheran.
The golf team has its first official match of the spring this weekend in Moses Lake. (That sentence reads kind of funny if you don't know that Moses Lake is a town.)
Track and field will be sending at least three men to the NCAA Div. III indoor championships this month. Defending champion Cody Stelzer, '10, returns in the high jump, along with All-Americans Emmanuel Bofa, '10 (800m), and Jeff Kintner, '10 (shot put). The outdoor season begins early this month.
Alumni & Parents
Information on exam energy kits will be coming out soon to all parents who'd like to order some goodies or a fruit bag for their studying students. In the meantime, you can always order early online at www.whitworth.edu/parents by selecting Birthday and Gift Service. Kits will be handed out just before spring finals (May 11-14).
In the coming months I'll be joining the Whitworth Office of Alumni & Parent Relations for a series of receptions they have irreverently labeled The Last Gasp Tour. In addition to providing a university update, the promotional brochure reports, I will disclose the only two nuggets of insight I have left unshared. I'll have to think those up, but I won't have to think hard to tell you why I am so excited about Whitworth's future. We would love to see alumni, parents and friends in Southern California (May 26), the Bay Area (May 27), Portland (June 3), and Seattle (June 6). Register online for the event nearest you at www.whitworth.edu/presidentsreceptions. In addition, more information will be coming soon about a big bash in Spokane the evening of May 16.
Miscellaneous
On the President's Home Page, www.whitworth.edu/president, under President's Messages, you can get the text or video of my Governor's Prayer Breakfast address. There's also a link to the TVW telecast of the breakfast, under In the News.
Whitworth is once again in great company in Kiplinger's annual rankings of the 50 best values among private universities in the U.S.The California Institute of Technology tops the list, followed by Princeton, Yale, Rice and Harvard. West Coast schools joining Whitworth (No. 39) in the top 50 are Stanford (No. 11), USC (No. 33), Santa Clara (No. 43), and Gonzaga (No. 50). The complete rankings, which are based two-thirds on academic quality and one-third on affordability, can be accessed online at www.kiplinger.com/tools/privatecolleges/.
The Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative announced last month the names of 10 students who will make up the eighth cadre of urban student leaders to attend Whitworth. Since the program began in 2002, 12 cadres of ethnically diverse and mostly first-generation, low-income Act Six scholars from Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane have enrolled at five Washington universities. To date, 94 percent of the scholars in the first three cadres have graduated. Overall, 92 percent of the 107 scholars originally selected for the program have graduated or are still enrolled – reflecting graduation and retention rates that far exceed national averages. Act Six scholars have been elected student-body presidents two of the past four years at Whitworth and have been involved in numerous other leadership roles on and off campus.
Closing Thoughts
Tonight is going to be a hard night. We will be holding a memorial service for 2008 graduate Lee Stover. Lee died suddenly last week of heart-related complications. Those of us who knew and loved Lee (and we are legion) will gather in the chapel and bear testimony to the fact that there was nothing complicated about Lee's spiritual heart. It was pure and generous. Few students have imposed such a warm presence on Whitworth. Right after Lee's death, we got an e-mail from Amber Kraft, '10, who has been in regular correspondence with Lee from her station in Bolivia. Lee strove to bring the light and love of Christ into every situation. He wanted people to know God better for having known him, and it was a task he carried out with joy. When he first started his position as the youth director of a church in Cheyenne, Wyoming, he reflected on his role in the lives of the young people he worked with in a way that pretty well captures his life's mission. "I can't be cool to these kids (too old). I can't be a parent to these kids, or a teacher (they already have those). I can't be friends with these kids (at least, not on the superficial, buddy-buddy level). What I can be is two things. I can be myself, trusting that I have been called here for a reason, and, in being myself, I can be a reflection of Jesus. I can be a Christ-imitator for these kids." Whitworth's mission is to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity. Lee did.
